Planes, Trains, and Psychmoblies
by tjmack1986
Summary: Shawn is dragged into a deadly game of cat and mouse by his latest challenger. As the team travels across the country, Shawn is forced to ask himself a very important question: Is he the cat or the mouse?
1. Santa Barbara

**A/N: So this is something I've been working on for a couple of months now. The story is completely written... just working on getting it beta read. So I wanna use a second to shout-out my beta reader, Olivia94, for being awesome! Also, I'll be giving out virtual pineapples and shout-outs in my next chapter for anyone who guesses which movie title I have borrowed for this story. Enjoy!**

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><p>Lassiter growled as he pulled up to the street curb in front of the latest crime scene. The house sat just a bit back from the actual road. A decent sized driveway wound it's way up to the house. A groan escaped his lips at the slight distance of the walk ahead of him. If it weren't for the yellow crime scene tape that extended from the front of the house all the way to the end of the sidewalk, there would have been nothing to foreshadow what the horrific scene that awaited him. The street was full of passersby who just <em>had<em> to get a peek at what was going on.

Opening his car door, then taking a step outside, Lassiter grumpily noticed two things: One, his partner wasn't there yet, and two, there were only two patrol officers on the scene. Then again, he thought mildly, he did just live right down the street from the crime scene.

He passed by the crime scene tape and he walked up to Officer McNabb, who grinned at him.

"Good morning Detective Lassiter." Buzz said cheerfully as he opened the front door for the detective.

Lassiter just nodded his head in response as he entered the house. His attention was immediately attached to the mess of blood coloring the floor an off shade of rust. He was inching forward to inspect the rest of the scene in front of him, as well as the body that lay just a few feet to his right, when something caught his eye. It was movement, and Lassiter's first thought was that maybe more patrol officers were inside the house; but even still, his hand fluttered to the gun on his hip, as he quietly edged in the direction of the movement.

Once at the corner of the hall he stood in, he froze and listened for more movement. Upon hearing a faint scuffle, Lassiter swung around the corner, gun drawn. The figure, who was standing in what could only be considered the den, stopped in their tracks. The figure turned toward Lassiter-no mask, nothing hiding his face. He scowled at Lassiter before making a run for it.

"SBPD! Freeze!" The detective yelled belatedly. With a frustrated moan, Lassiter took off after the suspect.

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><p>Shawn stifled a yawn as he stumbled blindly into what could loosely be referred to as his living room. Living in what used to be a laundromat doesn't exactly make for a glamorous lifestyle; however, it does give you the ability to transform certain parts of the broken down building whatever you'd like. Plus, you can't beat a merry-go-round closet.<p>

Opening the fridge, he grabbed the near empty carton of milk and the first box of cereal his hand came in contact with. After placing the milk and cereal on the table, he grabbed a bowl from the dish drainer on the makeshift counter space. Yawning again, he placed his free hand against his mouth to stifle the noise, as he sat down on one of two chairs in front of the small kitchen table.

He poured a bit of cereal into the bowl before chasing it with the remainder of the milk, all the while wondering why Juliet still refused to let him stay the night. Two weeks they'd been secretly seeing each other, and he had yet to stay the night at her place. He wasn't afraid to ask her to stay with him, and she wasn't afraid to accept. It wasn't like she didn't have a good time with him-last night was proof of that. He'd probably be less tired at-he glanced at the clock on his wall-ten in the morning if he could just sleep at her place until morning. Instead he had to drag his half-asleep self from her extremely comfortable bed, and ride his motorcycle all the way over to his place before crawling into his hard, lumpy bed.

Shawn put his bowl back into the sink. He'd deal with it later. For a moment he thought about laying back down and sleeping in, but the ringing of his cell phone stopped those thoughts instantly. He grabbed a hold of the device and, without checking the caller id, answered it.

"What's up, Chief?"

"We need you at the station now, Mr. Spencer."

Shawn tried to hide the disappointed sigh that escaped his lips. It wasn't that he didn't love a good case, getting on Lassie's nerves and seeing his very beautiful girlfriend, but his lumpy uncomfortable bed was practically calling his name.

"I'll be there in a bit, Chief."

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><p>Lassiter stared blankly at the Chief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. It had to be some sort of sick joke. There was no way that O'Hara, Guster, and Spencer were seriously going to go after <em>his <em>perpby themselves. Without him. Without _his_ expertise?

"Did I hear you correctly..."

"Yes Carlton. You heard me correctly. We need someone here to give our people in the field." Chief Karen Vick paused for a moment as she pointed out Juliet, Shawn, and Gus, "The play by play. Who better than our very own lead detective?"

Lassiter stared at the chief in disbelief. He knew that he was being sidelined for something more than his on the case and micro-management skills. As far as he was concerned, that was a pile of bull.

"Chief. I really think that my skill would be better utilized out there. Not in here stuck behind a desk."

Chief Vick sighed heavily. She had known that Lassiter would have a problem with this set up. She sympathized with the man, but knew that the risks of having him in the field far outweighed the benefits. Hesitantly she revealed her true motives.

"Look, Carlton. You are the only person alive who can visually identify him. If you go with the _team,_" Chief Vick had to pause to emphasize the word 'team' "Then he could spot you. Not only would you be putting yourself in danger, but your team as well. Is that what you want, Carlton?"

She knew that he didn't want that. Lassiter would never jeopardize his partner's safety and, although he may deny it, he wouldn't want to be responsible for any harm that came to Shawn or Gus, either.

"No, Chief."

It was a simple answer, and yet she could tell by the pained expression on his face that the detective was at war with himself.

Even if Juliet could control Shawn more often than not, Vick would have felt better if Carlton was with them. Not only did he have more experience, but he was always opposed to whatever _methods_ Mr. Spencer used.

"Listen to me." The chief paused, turning her attention to the three individuals standing together a few feet away. "This is still Detective Lassiter's case. Every bit of information you get goes to him. He will lead you, as he'll be getting information in from other stations. You will be working with other departments to get this guy as quickly as possible. This was not his first kill, and based on the taunting note we found, it will not be his last."

Sighing, she paused and pulled out the note. Shawn had yet to see it, but both detectives had. The chief saw Juliet cringe only slightly, at the sight of the letter, and didn't have to wonder why. She knew that the young detective cared about Shawn and his well-being. She was not naïve about the relationship, though, and could see that something deeper was going on.

"_Ah. Detectives. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime. You want to find me? You will need to follow me as I make my way through portions of the country. A killing spree is what you'll call it. I'll call it fun. For now, you can call me The Tourist. Funny, I know, oh and before I forget. If you want to find me, to catch me, you'll need psychic powers. Oh wait, you have that don't you? Whatever you do, don't forget your psychic. He's the key."_

Chief Vick didn't understand what all these serial killers had against Shawn. Mr. Yang, Mr. Yin, and now The Tourist. It was like Shawn attracted an endless line of psychopaths. At least he did tend to catch them.

"Be careful out there. He called you out, Mr. Spencer. He'll be looking specifically for you. Watch your backs, all of you. And as much as it pains me to do this..." She paused, walking around her desk and opening a drawer. She pulled something out, and Shawn's eyes lit up at the sight in front of him. "Your father has informed me that you're actually pretty good with one of these, and since you won't have Detective Lassiter, one of you will need to carry a gun. Henry told me it should be Shawn."

She handed him the gun and watched as he stared at it like a kid in a candy store. She really hoped that she wouldn't regret her choice.

"Now, first stop will be Los Angeles-that's where the very first killing took place. The LAPD has promised to cooperate, and share all information with us. The only reason being the fact that The Tourist called out _our_ psychic. Be courteous with them and again, be careful. You're dismissed."

Lassiter sneered at Shawn before turning on his heel and leaving the Chief's office. Shawn grinned knowingly as he followed Lassiter back to his desk.

"Ah! Come on, Lassifrass. Turn that frown upside down. Smile like you mean it!" Lassiter let his hand rest on his gun as his eyes locked with Shawn's. "Hear me now, Spencer. You will follow my lead. You will not harass me when I give you orders, and you will take care of my partner. If you return her to me in anything less than perfect condition, I will not hesitate to use this on you."

Shawn gulped, and tried to cover up the fear in his eyes. Lassiter always said things like that to him, but this time he knew that the man was sincere.

"Carlton!" Juliet yelled, aware that her partner did not take well to Shawn or his antics. She huffed, unable to think of anything but the anger she felt to know that, after all these years, Lassiter still didn't trust her to keep herself alive. She didn't need Shawn to take care of her-Though she couldn't deny that the thought made a smile creep onto her lips.

"I was just explaining the rules to Spencer. I'm not going to shoot him...at least not yet."

"You will not shoot him, period."

Shawn smiled broadly at Lassiter, who tapped his gun in a _'I want to shoot you' _kind of way.

"_He's_ a valuable consultant." Juliet insisted.

She was surprised when she noticed how the smile fell off of Shawn's face. For one tiny moment she saw as his usually brilliant eyes dim as hurt shone through. If she would have blinked she would have missed it, he regained his composure so quickly. If only he knew just how badly she wanted to say more, to reassure him just how much he meant to her, but not only would that put her job on the line, but his as well.

"Yeah. Right. You better get a move on. It's rush hour."

Juliet shook her head. No more needed to be said. Rush hour traffic was bad enough in Santa Barbara, she was really not excited to see how much worse it was going to be in Los Angeles.


	2. Los Angeles

**A/N: Here's chapter two for you all! I have part of chapter four beta'd, and waiting on the second part of it to come to me. I believe there are eight chapters in total, so we're almost halfway through revising this story. **

**Special thanks to Olivia94 for being so awesome with her mad beta'ing skills. **

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><p>Juliet walked toward her car, followed by Shawn and Gus. She looked back at the both of them and grinned at the sight of the brilliant smile on Shawn's face as he whispered animatedly to Gus and grinned.<p>

"Come on, man! You know that I am clearly next in line for shotgun behind Lassitude. I mean, this whack-job did call me out, so _technically_, this is my case. Not yours. Shotgun rules do clearly state that if any _attractive _psychic gets personally called out by a complete nut-job, said psychic gets shotgun. The only thing that trumps said situation is if a lanky sourpuss of a Lassie-Face is riding along."

"You know I get carsick, Shawn!" Gus groaned. Just the thought of the gentle rolling of the car made his stomach tumble around uncomfortably.

"Gus, don't be the milk I left out on the counter this morning. You know I'm right."

A guttural groan escaped Gus's lips. A painfully sick look appeared on his face as he envisioned Shawn's quip. The image did not help the queasy feeling in his stomach. Taking his silence as resignation, Shawn smiled triumphantly and started to hum "We Are The Champions"_._

Juliet felt the grin on her face expand; no matter how badly she might feel, Shawn never failed to bring a smile to her face. Unlocking the door of her car, she opened the driver side door, and climbed inside. Sneaking a peek toward the backseat, Juliet was glad to see the slight greenish tint to Gus's skin had disappeared.

"Shall we hit the road?"

Shawn shook his head excitedly, and Juliet wondered if he lived on energy drinks. She had never once met another adult that had as much energy as Shawn did. "Well then, buckle up, boys."

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><p>Juliet fumed as Gus and Shawn bickered back and forth over which Batman movie truly was the best. She'd lost track of who was winning shortly after the feud had begun, but she had just about had it. Feeling like the babysitter of two twelve-year-old boys, she huffed before guiding the car off to the shoulder. It was time that both of them learned that she meant business.<p>

"Okay. Both of you stop right now. I don't care who played the 'caped crusader' better. I don't care if it was the way Keaton spoke, or the general brilliance of Kilmer. I don't care one way or the other. You both realize that we are on our way to a crime scene, right? That there is someone dead, and that there is another serial killer out there?"

She looked from Gus to Shawn and back again. Gus sobered up quickly and hung his head. Shawn, however, flashed her a lopsided grin. Juliet tried to hide the blush that crept into her cheeks, just like it did every time he grinned at her. His eyes held a brilliance in them that always made her heart skip a beat.

"See, Jules? You know more about movies than you give on! That or... you were listening! So what's your input. Tell me, Jules, who was the better Batman? You know it's Val Kilmer. That man is a genius!"

Juliet shook her head before rolling her eyes. Why had she agreed to let Shawn ride up front with her? It was like she enjoyed torture.

"Just keep it down."

Juliet knew she wasn't going to be able to stop their incessant bantering. Well, she'd be able to stop Gus, but Shawn was different-in more ways than one. The psychic was the main reason that Carlton hadn't wanted her to wander off with the two best friends. He had told her so, in his all-knowing tone of voice.

_'"You know that idiot will take advantage of the situation." _

_Juliet had held her breath; no one knew that she and Shawn were dating. Well, except for Gus, but that was sort of unavoidable._

"_Carlton." Juliet groaned, annoyed. She was always defending Shawn, so chastising her partner like this was nothing new. _

"_I mean it, O'Hara. Watch yourself. He is a magnet for danger. I meant what I said: If that nimrod brings you back with so much a scratch-" _

"_I got it." Juliet interrupted him._

_It wasn't often that Carlton would get all protective of her-not so vocally, at least-but when he did, it got on her last nerve._

Juliet glanced over at Shawn once again and caught him beaming at her. She tried to fight the smile that crept onto her face-it was her usual reaction to her boyfriend's grin that she was starting to realize was special and saved just for her. The only time she ever saw him use it was when she noticed him staring at her. She had watched him with Abigail, and though she wouldn't deny that he loved her, she never once saw him smile at Abigail the way that he would smile at her-like she is the only person in the room-or in this instance, car.

As she guided the car back onto the road, Juliet's eyes caught the road sign up ahead. In half an hour they'd be in downtown Los Angeles, and ten minutes after that they'd be at the crime scene.

Juliet was pulled out of her thoughts when Shawn suddenly started belting out notes along with the radio. He drummed his fingers, constantly in time with the music, and swayed his head back and forth.

She sighed. Sometimes Juliet found herself wishing that her boyfriend could just act like an adult every once in a while. Then again, she thought mildly, grinning at Shawn, who was now full on jamming out to the music, he could always bring a smile to her face.

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><p>Shawn contemplated Juliet as she guided the car into a left hand turn and onto the street that held their crime scene. He grinned. He knew that she thought that he was childish-that he didn't seem to care, and that it probably made him seem a bit...what was the right word? Childish? Indifferent? Not without a caring bone in his body? If only she knew that it was the furthest thing from the truth! This... childish behavior was just part of his method—his strategy for handling his job. If only she understood that the moment he became unable to make a quick quip at someone else's expense or make an 80's reference, whatever sick bastard they were chasing could enter his head. That wouldn't help anyone. He fought to keep the grimace off his face, as his thoughts went instantly to Yin and Yang. Both had broken down his barriers and had nearly sent him into a frenzy. He would not allow The Tourist to do the same.<p>

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><p>"Alright, guys. We're here..."<p>

Shawn turned his attention to Juliet. Even if he was itching to get out of the car, he stayed in his seat, desperate to get some alone time with his favorite detective. Gus had already shaken his head and removed himself from the backseat of the car. He stretched forward, and Shawn knew he was working out the kinks in his back.

Juliet gasped lightly when she turned toward Shawn and saw his face a mere few inches from hers. Smiling, he leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly to hers.

"We really need to go on one of these _alone_."

"While I couldn't agree more, Shawn, I need you to focus. We have a serial killer to catch."

Shawn nodded. "I know, Jules. We'll catch him. He won't get away with this."

Juliet smiled before offering one last peck on the lips. "Let's go look at this crime scene."

Juliet grimaced at the sheer volume of violence. This guy...The Tourist, seriously had some issues. Gus had already excused himself from the scene before he contaminated any of the evidence. Shawn was kneeling down beside the body-or what was left of it. His eyes swept the scene from his position, and then his eyes grew dim as he put his fingers to his temple.

"What do you see, Shawn."

He stood up, one of his hands shaking as he started to speak. "He didn't leave any evidence behind, Jules. He cleaned up after himself...except for this." he paused to point at the lifeless corpse at his feet. "However, I am sensing that he wants to play a game with us-that he might have left some sort of note or clue."

Both of their eyes swept the crime scene one more time before Shawn's voice raised an octave. "What for iiitttt."

Juliet rolled her eyes. It didn't matter if they were searching for a murderer, a serial killer, or a missing set of keys, Shawn was all about the theatrics. He pointed at a tiny corner of white on the mantle, just above the fireplace. Racing over to it, Shawn snatched up the note before anyone else could.

"_Bravo. If you guessed that I want to play a game with you, then you're better than I thought. You will be the mouse to my very intelligent cat. I will not make this easy for you, but I will help you. You see me as the bad guy, and yet I see myself as the hero. Brace yourself, and grab a coat. You'll need it for our next destination. Remember, I have a head start. Don't be afraid to brave the cold, and follow me into the dark of night. Here is you're clue, Psychic. It pours when the ferry boats tug along. Keep an eye out for a doctor with a terrible nickname."_

For an instant Juliet could see the look of anger on Shawn's face, before he put back on his well placed mask and dropped the note. As Juliet went to pick it up, he waved her off. "Don't need it. I know where it is we're going. He wasn't lying. We're going to need coats. It's always cold and rainy in Seattle."

Juliet shook her head as she grabbed the note with her gloved hand and shoved it in an evidence bag.


	3. Seattle

**A/N: A million thanks to my awesome beta Olivia94! Please enjoy! Reviews are encouraged!**

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><p>Dread. That was the feeling that coursed through the three of them. Their impending journey to the always-rainy Seattle was not something that any of them were looking forward to.<p>

Gus had insisted that they stop at an outdoor supply store to get heavy coats, umbrellas and other supplies. Juliet knew she would not hear the end of it if she didn't stop, so she did. From there the three friends had moved on to the superstore next door. According to Gus, necessary supplies included non-perishable food in case they were to get lost outside. Juliet couldn't say that he would let them get into something unprepared.

"Hey, Jules. Look." Shawn held up a pineapple. "It's non-fishable, right?"

Gus scoffed at Shawn's apparent ignorance. "It's non-_perishable_ Shawn. Means it doesn't go bad."

Shawn just stared at Gus for a moment. "Well...is it or is it not? This is very important, Gus. You know that I cannot carry on without delicious flavor."

Gus shook his head. "It's fine, Shawn. We don't have anything to cut it with, though."

"Well, my good friend, I believe you to be wrong." Shawn's grin widened as he held up a large, sharp knife. "Wilderness survival lesson number one: always have a weapon handy."

Juliet laughed lightly, watching Gus's cheeks flush. "Your girlfriend is a cop...with a _gun_. Not to mention that, for some reason beyond my comprehension, the chief gave _**you**_ a gun-why your father thought that to be a good idea I'll never understand. But whatever the reason, I think we have the weapons covered."

"Don't be a Gussy Downer. Juuuullllleeeesssss" He dragged out the name as he used his pouty lips and puppy dog eyes.

Juliet tried to hide the smile that wanted to cross her lips. "Shawn, first of all, they'll never allow you on the plane with a knife. Second of all, they have pineapple in a can."

Shawn gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. "You didn't just say that. Take it back."

Juliet's mouth bobbed opened and closed wordlessly a couple of times, as she tried to figure out what to say. Whatever she decided on, however, would remain unspoken as when the ground beneath her feet started to shake. _**Five**_ years she had lived in California and she had yet to experience an earthquake. Fear overtook her usually calm exterior. She had no idea what to do, as the walls of the department store had started to make cracking sounds.

"Don't just stand there, Juliet. Get under something sturdy." Gus dove underneath a near by table, clinging to the leg like it was his lifeline.

Shawn hid the panic he felt deep within as he grabbed his visibly frightened girlfriend's hand and pulled her toward the table that was next to Gus's. Sliding underneath it,clutched a leg of the table tightly with one hand, his other arm tucking Juliet safely underneath him.

"Don't worry, Jules. You'll be safe."

His body was protecting her from anything that might fall from above. His attention went to Gus. His eyes were wide with fear, due to the floor shaking more and more violently with each passing second. Shawn couldn't tell if his best friend was shaking, or if it was the vibrating floor that was causing the appearance.

"It'll be okay, Gus."

Gus shook his head back and forth. "No it won't. I do not like earthquakes, Shawn."

Shawn sighed. He'd probably get yelled at later for this, but he had to stop Gus from panicking. "Don't be a crazy straw in a little kid's drink, Gus. No one likes earthquakes. There is a reason why they're called nature disasters."

"Seriously, Shawn," Gus scoffed at his friend, "it's natural _disaster_."

Shawn shook his head. "I've heard it both ways."

Gus was not in the mood for Shawn's sense of humor. "No you have not."

Shawn faked a wicked smile for Gus, "Well maybe not, but still. Saying you like an earthquake would be like saying that you like tornadoes because they're big and fluffy and fun to hug!"

Shawn couldn't be sure, but he thought he felt Juliet's body shake with laughter. Seconds later he heard the remnants of a chuckle and knew he had. It caused a slightly real smile to cross his lips.

"Now is not the time to be funny." Gus's words came just as the movement beneath them started to subside.

"Sure it is, buddy. Earthquake is over. We're alive. As far as I can tell, that makes for a good day, right?"

Gus glared at Shawn as they all clamored out from underneath the table.

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><p>Shawn heard Juliet sigh, a look of anger was etched on her face. Shawn noticed that his girlfriend was quietly conversing with someone on the phone, and vaguely realized that he hadn't even registered her answering it. She paced back and forth as she whispered in a harsh tone. She'd stop for a moment and look at Shawn. He'd flash a smile in her direction. It seemed to calm her for a second before she started to pace, and speak harshly in the phone again.<p>

Shawn turned his focus toward Gus. He too was pacing, his hand rubbing against his shaved head. His eyes were still slightly wide with fear, and he was mumbling random things to himself. It was all to low for Shawn to hear, but he smiled at Gus when he stopped to turn in a different direction and was facing Shawn.

"Not now, Shawn."

The fake psychic simply nodded his head. He had known Gus way past long enough to know when he could push it, and when to leave well enough alone. The latter was the best option right now.

"Shawn."

Juliet's voice was a whisper, which confused Shawn at first, until she flicked her eyes in Gus's direction. Interpreting her meaning correctly, Shawn felt a sense of dread appear out of thin air. He knew it couldn't be good news, if she was worried about Gus finding out.

"Yeah, Jules?" He was barely an arms length away from her, but she stepped in a little closer to him.

"I have some bad news, and then I have worse news. Which would you prefer first?" Shawn saw her lips twitch at the corners, and couldn't stop the lop-sided grin that inched its way onto his face.

"Bad news, I suppose." He couldn't believe that his girlfriend had tried to crack a joke at such a time. It was definitely not like Juliet to do that.

"Alright, bad news. All incoming and outgoing flights in the greater Los Angeles area are canceled. The next closest airport with a flight to Seattle within the next twenty hours is Sacramento, and of course, they were hit by the earthquake as well..."

"Basically, you're saying we aren't catching a flight?"

Juliet nodded her head and let out an exhausted sigh. "We'll have to drive the seventeen and a half hours to Seattle."

Shawn placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and smiled softly at her. "Okay, we'll all take turns driving. I know it's not exactly ideal, but at least we'll get to spend more time together away from the precinct."

Juliet nodded softly, her mouth open to speak.

"What was the worse news?" Shawn interrupted what she was about to say, but the detective thought that maybe it was better that way.

"He's already struck again Shawn. A wealthy businessman. He lived with his family on the outskirts of Seattle, but his business was in downtown Seattle. The Seattle Police Department said that the crime scene is at least as bloody and gruesome as the Los Angeles one."

Juliet felt guilty about her failure to mention that the psychopath was getting worse with each new kill.

Shawn could see the renewed fear in his girlfriend's eyes and pulled her into his arms. "I will protect you Jules. I swear it."

Juliet felt a shiver course up and down her spine at his words. She knew he meant it, which was what scared her the most. She knew that Shawn would do anything humanly possible to protect her-even if that meant that he went without protection. Fear that she might lose him caused a single tear to slip from her eye and down her cheek.

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><p>Nine hours. Nine long, beyond-exhausting hours of driving. As if that weren't bad enough, it was only half of their trip. Shawn sighed, his hands resting on the steering wheel as his eyes tried to drift close for the fifth time within fifteen minutes. He resisted the urge to pull into the nearest store; He had sworn to both Gus and Juliet that he wouldn't make any unscheduled stops—unless, of course, they were emergencies.<p>

_'But this is an emergency!' _Shawn told himself. If he didn't get adequate caffeine in his body soon, he too would pass out right along with his two fellow road-trippers.

He pulled into the first gas station he could find and parked the car. Shawn pulled the keys from the ignition, and put them into his pocket, and locked the doors. No way would he leave his two favorite people in the world defenseless and sleeping, vulnerable to the unknowns of the rural gas station that he had found. He entered the small store with a purposeful walk, spotting the coffee pots right off the bat. Walking quickly, he grabbed the biggest size cup he could find, filled it plum full, added as much sugar as his body could handle, and then topped it off with a couple of creamers before heading back to pay for his caffeine filled, sugar induced coffee.

After handing the lonely attendant the money for his coffee, he headed back to the car. It was the same as when he had left it, with both occupants still fast asleep. Unlocking the door, he slipped back inside, started the car and pulled out of the parking lot before taking a long sip from his extra large coffee.

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><p>Juliet yawned as she started to come back from the wonderful dream world she had just left. Trying to stretch her sore, stiff body out, she realized that one of her hands was unable to respond to her commands. Juliet looked around and found the reason to be that Shawn was holding it in his. She looked over at him. His eyes were bloodshot and droopy.<p>

"Shawn. Pull over and let me drive. You need sleep."

He smiled a little wearily as he snuck a peek at her. "No time. We're less than forty minutes from the crime scene. Sleep is useless right now." He gently squeezed her hand.

"How long have I been asleep?" The question was full of worry-not for herself, but for Shawn. How long had he been driving?

"About..." he paused, glancing down to peek the time. A wry smile crossed his lips, "Ten and a half hours."

Her eyes widened in concern. "Ten and a half hours? Shawn, we're supposed to take four hour shifts."

He shook his head. "Yeah, well, I got sleepy...like, really sleepy an hour into my driving time and I felt bad for it...so I stopped for a coffee. I was so hyper that I figured I drive the rest of the time and let you and Gus catch up on sleep. The sugar high ran out about an hour ago. I fought the urge to stop and get another coffee..."

His voice wavered in and out with each word spoken. He was exhausted and there was no way that he was going to be any help in his current state. "Shawn, stop for coffee. You're not going to be any help in this state."

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><p>Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Juliet guided the car to the side of the road. Yellow crime scene tape lined around the front of the house. It was rather large in size, with three very expensive vehicles parked in front of the now-crime scene. <em>Wealthy businessman <em>rang in Shawn's ear as he took in the sight in front of him.

How exactly was he supposed to beat this guy if he was always one step, or in this case, a few states ahead? Not to mention that there was absolutely no pattern to how or why he killed. This victim appeared just as random as the others. He knew that Lassie was supposed to be calling soon, not only to check up on them after the whole earthquake fiasco, but also to make sure they made it to Seattle okay. Plus, he would have the results from his time spent with the sketch artist.

"I know we're all tired, but let's head inside. The quicker we find out where he's dragging us next, the faster we can catch a bit of sleep on the plane." Though she was talking to everyone-herself included- she was focusing on Shawn, who was apparently going for his record for longest time awake. He was closing in on thirty hours. Eighteen more and it would be two days since the last time he had shut his eyes.

Juliet let that thought fall away as she led the way out of the car and up toward the new crime scene. Shawn's body shivered and shuddered in the cold, frosty air of Seattle, Washington. Why did it have to be unseasonably cold? He looked up and figured he could at least thank his lucky stars that it wasn't raining.

As soon as Shawn had climbed up the six stairs to the front porch, he could hear Gus's Lamaze breathing and the sounds of gags that he was trying to hide. Soon enough, Gus fled from the house to wait outside where the air was fresh, and there was no bloody corpse to turn his insides upside down.

"What do we have, Jules?" Shawn didn't even have the energy to come up with any theatrics. Straight forward. He'd have a vision, and then hopefully get some sleep. At least that was Shawn's hopeful thinking.

He scrunched up his nose, as the stench reached him. The pseudo-psychic had to admit that this scene definitely smelt worse than the previous one. And then he saw the body. Shawn felt bile rise into his throat as he fought against his body's impulse, trying to keep what little food in his body exactly where it was intended to stay. Shawn shot a look over to his girlfriend and saw a look on her face that likely mirrored his own. Again the body was decapitated, and the blood was just so overwhelming.

Shawn peeled his eyes from the gruesome corpse, and used what little energy he had left to really focus on finding the note that he knew was hidden somewhere. It didn't take long.

Placing fingers to his temples, "I'm sensing our next clue...it's...in a vase...yes a vase, on the fireplace." A grin crossed his lips when he realized that his 'vision' rhymed.

Juliet smiled at him softly, before walking swiftly toward the fireplace, digging into the vase, and yanking out the slightly damp piece of paper. She opened it, and Shawn stood beside her, holding onto one corner.

_Well done, psychic Shawn Spencer. I had a feeling that you would make this a fun game for me. Not at lot of time. So, here goes. You'll be OK, if you follow me to the capital city._

Shawn grumbled at the note in front of him. "Let's go. We need to book a flight to Oklahoma City."

Juliet sighed as she followed him back outside. Both of their bodies jerked as violent shivers ran through them simultaneously. At the same time, the sky above opened up and a mixture of rain, sleet, and snow fell to the ground. Shawn looked up, and felt like he could cry. "Seriously? The earthquake wasn't enough? Now this?"

Juliet felt tears well in her eyes. Shawn was fighting against exhaustion, The Tourist, and apparently Mother Nature as well. She put her arm around Shawn, trying to use body heat to warm the both of them on their way back to the car. "Just think, soon we'll be out of here."

"Yeah, like Oklahoma City is going to be better. You do understand that it's like, the epicenter of tornado alley, right? Because our luck has just been _**that**_ good so far."


	4. Oklahoma City

Shawn grimaced as they pulled into a parking space. The walk to the front of the airport seemed to stretch for miles, or at the very least a few blocks. The rain had actually ceased, forming into quite large pellets of ice. The temperature had actually dropped to a nice frosty, twenty-five degrees.

Shawn wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he was pretty positive that The Tourist and Mother Nature were co-conspiring to make this the absolute worse road-trip in the history of the world.

"Shawn, if we don't start walking, we'll never make our plane."

Juliet had lucked into three seats on what seemed to be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's only flight from Seattle to Oklahoma City-Not that she was excited to leave behind the freezing cold, frost-biting temperatures of Seattle for the scouring heat, tornado latent Oklahoma City. Especially not considering their luck with Mother Nature.

"I know, Jules. I just...I'm freezing." Shawn's voice turned to a whine at the end of his sentence.

He sent a grateful glance back toward Gus for being as anal as he was about weather related issues. How his best friend had known that Seattle was having one of it's worst winter rebounds in history, he'd never know. However, if Gus hadn't insisted on stopping to get large, heavy duty coats, well, they would have most likely turned into popsicles by now.

"I know, Shawn, but finding and capturing The Tourist is _**the **_single most important thing right now. We'll deal with your frost bite when we get onto the airplane."

Shawn's head snapped in Juliet's direction, trying to hide the tugging smile pulling at the edges of his lips. What was she thinking cracking jokes right now? What was he thinking _**not **_cracking jokes right now? This guy was doing exactly what Shawn didn't want him to do. He was getting into his head, though the fact that he was fighting sleep deprivation didn't help. He sighed and shook his head. Pulling his coat as tight as he could around his body, he smiled at Juliet when she tied the hood around his head.

"Thanks Jules." She winked at him, before pulling her coat around her slender frame.

Together they exited the car, and started to fight through the biting cold wind and sleet on their slow trudge to the entrance of the airport.

Shawn decided right then that if he had a chance, he was going to put a bullet right into The Tourist's head for causing him this pain.

* * *

><p>Shawn had just snuggled further into his uncomfortable seat when he felt Juliet drop his hand and jump up.<p>

"You have to be kidding me!" Her voice raised a couple of octaves.

His eyes fluttered open, and he saw what she was upset about. "They delayed our flight? Did you tell them that we're trying to find a psychopath...or that we hate it here?"

Juliet turned and stifled a smile. "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry."

Shawn smiled softly at his girlfriend. His mood had shifted in a much better direction now that he was dry and no longer shivering straight to the bone. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sleep's overrated anyway. Who needs it?"

She smiled softly at him. "You do." She touched just under his eyes. The deep purple marks looked as if they'd never leave her boyfriend's face. The redness in his eyes was very visible. She felt bad for him. "Lay your head back down. We have about another hour wait ahead of us."

Shawn shook his head as he stopped fighting against his closing eyelids. His head lay as comfortably as it could against the chilled plastic chair. Juliet waited until his breathing evened out, before lifting his head and putting her heavy coat under it. She smiled softly at how peaceful he looked.

"Shawn always looks his most peaceful when he sleeps. You can literally see all the tension fall away in those few precious seconds when he drifts off. I've always admired that about him."

Juliet turned to sit down, as Gus followed suit. "Flight's been delayed another hour. At this rate, we'll never catch him." She shook her head, a look of self-depreciation on her face. "He's probably laughing at us right now."

Gus put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We are doing everything that we can, Juliet. What else could you ask for?"

Turning her head, she faced Gus. She knew he was being sincere. "To catch him. Get him off the streets before he can kill again. As bad as it sounds, I wish he would have stayed in Santa Barbara. We would have caught him by now, and we wouldn't be stuck in this..." she paused, her eyes flicked to the window. The skies were a depressing shade of gray. The people being ushered into the building were bundled up tight. If a good thing could be said, it was the fact that the ice had appeared to stop falling from the sky. A quirky smile crossed her lips. "Hellhole."

"You mean icehole, Jules. Hell is hot. This place is the opposite of hot. Perhaps Oklahoma City can be our hellhole."

Juliet reached out and grabbed Shawn hand. Her favorite lopsided smile was on his face, as his eyes fluttered close once more.

* * *

><p>Juliet watched as Shawn shuffled his feet. Even if he had slept for the entire flight from Seattle to Oklahoma City, he was still exhausted. Grabbing a hold of his hand, she pulled him in the opposite direction from the baggage claim, where their three duffel bags awaited them.<p>

"Gus, can you grab the bags? I'm gonna get us all some coffee." Gus flashed her a grateful smile as he made a beeline for the baggage carousel.

Juliet smiled tiredly before letting go of Shawn's hand and putting her arm around his waist. He looked almost dead on his feet. They walked the short distance to the nearest Starbucks. Juliet settled Shawn into a chair and watched as his head bobbed forward slightly, Shawn catching himself before his head made contact with the table.

"Shawn, what would you like? My treat." His eyes, though dulled by sleep deprivation, lit up immediately.

"The largest size coffee humanly possible, with as much sugar as you think I can handle."

She shook her head. They needed to catch this bastard soon so that Shawn could get some sleep. Juliet had turned to walk toward the counter when she heard Gus huff behind her. _Funny_, she thought, _I didn't think the bags were that _heavy. Sure enough, when she turned around she saw Gus with empty arms.

"Where are our bags?" She was really looking forward to changing out of her current clothes for something _**clean**_.

"They lost our luggage." Both Gus and Shawn could have sworn that they saw steam pour out of Juliet's ears at that. Her face turned a deep crimson as her hands balled up into fists.

"Great."

* * *

><p>After a quick pit stop in the nearest department store to get new clothes, everyone felt slightly better. Juliet sipped at her third cup of coffee and Shawn stared wide-eyed out the window. His sugar high wouldn't last too long.<p>

While they had been in the department store, Lassiter had called. The Tourist had struck once again; this time killing a middle-aged, single mother.

Juliet guided the rental car off to the side of the road. The yellow crime scene tape marked yet another person taken by the vengeful Tourist. She felt a couple of tears prick at the edge of her eyes, but quickly shoved them away. Letting her emotions get the best of her would do nothing to help her right now. What she needed was to be on top of her game, and what they _all _needed was a tiny break to get ahead of The Tourist for once. To catch him.

"I think...maybe I'll just stay in the car this time. I won't do you two much good in there, anyway."

Shawn turned slightly in his seat to look at Gus, whose face was already sweating at the thought of seeing another gruesomely mutilated body. The pseudo-psychic simply shook his head. "Old iron stomach, huh?" Juliet peeked at Shawn's face and saw his lips quirk up at the edges.

Gus huffed, his arms crossed over his chest. "There is only so much even an iron stomach can take, Shawn. That is just gross and wrong."

"I agree, Gus, and we would prefer you stay in the car. Just so that you don't...you know, contaminate evidence."

"Good, it's agreed."

Shawn turned back to Juliet. He was so not ready to get out of the car. His eyes had caught the temperature gauge on the rear-view mirror. "Is it really 96 degrees outside?" He knew that his voice would be registered as whiny, but he didn't care. 96 degrees is scorching hot.

Juliet turned to face Shawn and saw the pitiful look on his face. "Unfortunately. Apparently mother nature still hates us."

Shawn sighed, looking out the window. "Jules, it's so hot that it's like there is a hazy film all over everything. Look." He pointed out the window and, sure enough, it looked as if everything in the distance was blurry.

"That may be, Shawn, but we still have to get out of this car and go into that crime scene. First, though, we have to look at this sketch that Carlton sent us. That way we have an idea of _**who **_we're looking for." Juliet told him, referring to the completed likeness of The Tourist that Lassiter had spent hours working on with the department sketch artist.

Shawn nodded, leaning over the gearshift so he had a better vantage point of his girlfriend's phone. She pulled up the sketch and Shawn took a moment to study it.

The Tourist's hair was shaved into a short cropped cut, and his eyes were far too close together. Shawn knew you could never trust a man with tiny beady eyes that were so close together that they appeared to be crossed. Aside from the undeniable look of his eyes, there wasn't really anything remarkable about him. According to the approximate height and weight, that had been written in good old Lassifrass hand-writing, he was about 5'10 and around 250 pounds. Everything about him screamed average joe. So why was it that the longer Shawn stared at the image before him, the more creeped out he felt?

Shawn shook himself out of his staring stupor and looked back at Juliet. "Ready?" He tried to hide the creepiness that was slowly creeping up and down his spine, from his eyes. Juliet shook her head, and followed Shawn out of the car.

* * *

><p>Shawn put a hand to his face. The smell inside the house was overpowering. For once, he wished that he didn't have to actually be <em><strong>in<strong>_ the crime scene to work his magic. He watched as Juliet's nose scrunched up in distaste at the smell.

"The heat'll do that." An officer behind Shawn spoke, causing Shawn to look over his shoulder.

The officer stood taller than Shawn, and sported a _Vin Diesel _baldhead. He was huge, and Shawn instinctively shrank away from him.

"S'cuse me. We are my manners? Name's Carl Evers. Been on the force for near ten years now."

Juliet smiled at him as she came to stand next to Shawn. "Detective Juliet O'Hara, Santa Barbara PD. This is.."

Shawn smiled as he stuck out his hand. "Shawn Spencer. Head Psychic for the SBPD." Carl dipped his head in acknowledgment to Juliet and shook Shawn's hand.

Juliet smiled softly before turning back to the crime scene at hand. Much the same as the others, the body was decapitated. Shawn examined the body carefully and saw that, as always, nothing was out of place. The Tourist had, once again, left nothing but the note, which was clutched in the hand of the victim. Placing a glove on his hand, he pulled the clue out of the woman's limp hand.

_Bravo, psychic Shawn. Bravo. Though, I can say that I'm sad that you're always __**one **__step behind me. It's a shame really. Maybe I'm just too good at this game? Should I make things easier for you? I would like to meet the great Shawn Spencer face to face, but look at me rambling on like this when you have a new destination to get to. Here's your clue, Mr. Spencer. If the heat swelters, then you've gone just far enough. Look to the sky and maybe the bird-eye's view will give you a clue._

"What the hell. This guy is..." Shawn stopped and shook his head. He was getting angry. This guy. The Tourist, he was playing with Shawn's head. He was toying with him. "Might wanna stop at the store again, Jules. We're going to Arizona. Phoenix, to be more exact."

Juliet sighed heavily. "Let's get going then."


	5. A Slight Detour

Shawn sighed as Juliet eased the car back onto the road. She had managed to turn back toward the interstate, and luckily the airport had a flight leaving for Phoenix in a little under an hour.

"We're never going to make it!"

Juliet sighed, wondering for once, not how Gus put up with Shawn's over-activeness, but how Shawn put up with Gus's pessimism. "The woman working the ticket counter promised they would hold the flight for us-though it did take a bit of convincing, and a lot of 'I'm a cop dammit.'"

Shawn smiled at Juliet. He did always love her tough cop facade—the one that she only used on rare occasions. Mainly with him. "Don't worry, Gussy boy. We'll be sweltering in Phoenix in no time. Besides-"

His words caught in his throat when Juliet slammed on her brakes, swerving to keep from hitting the temporary barricade that blocked the on ramp onto the interstate. "You have got to be kidding me!" Juliet pounded the steering wheel with her hand. Nobody's luck was _**that **_bad. Not even Shawn's.

"Is everybody working against us?" She groaned, her question addressed to no one in particular.

"I think so. Look, just turn around before any cars get up behind you. I saw another road that goes in the same direction. Gotta lead to the airport at some point, right?"

"Don't listen to him." Juliet swatted at the hand Gus had laid on her shoulder. He was now leaning up into the front seat. "It's Shawn. When is his advice ever good?"

Juliet sighed. She knew Gus was right, but what better plan was there? They had been forced to get the only rental car available, which, of course, did not include a GPS system. She had no idea how to get to the airport without the highway, and she could see some traffic heading toward them. If she was going to do anything, she needed to do it now.

Throwing the car in reverse, Juliet backed up until she was certain that she could turn the car around effectively, and took off in the direction they'd just come from. Sighing, she glanced over at Shawn. "Where is this road Shawn?"

He looked over at her before putting his hand to his temple. He hoped like crazy that Juliet wouldn't see him and think he was having a vision. "It's about three more miles up the road, to you're left."

Juliet shook her head. "Three miles."

* * *

><p>Glancing at the time on the radio, Juliet felt herself huff in frustration. There was absolutely no way that they were going to make their flight, which would be pulling away from the gate in fifteen minutes. Unless she'd missed something very important and the miles of nothingness on both sides of the road were just <em>misleading<em>, then she and her friends were in the middle of nowhere. As far as she could remember, the airport was not located in the middle of nowhere.

"Okay...there is a very good chance that we _might_ be lost." Shawn put a hand to his chin and rubbed it slightly. While it made him look thoughtful, Juliet was almost certain that he was not thinking of anything other than food...likely pineapple.

In the distance she heard a rumble and making both her and Shawn leaned forward. The skies that had once been blue and sunny were now a dark, angry-looking gray.

"Seriously Shawn, what did you do to piss off mother nature?"

Shawn looked at his girlfriend in mock hurt. "What makes you think this is my fault! What about Gus!" He said as he pointed back toward Gus.

"Guys, those clouds do not look good. I am by no means an expert when it comes to storms, but I think we should find some place to hunker down until it passes."

Shawn felt a laugh bubble up into his throat; he tried to suppress it, but failed miserably. "Yes, because our options are so vast. Would you like to hide under the dirt there, Gussy boy?"

Gus crossed his arms across his chest. Juliet could tell that this road-trip, which she was now considering the road-trip from hell, was having a very negative effect on the best friends' relationship.

"No need for the attitude, Shawn."

Laughing again, Shawn replied, "No Gus, there is a definite need for attitude, though I affectionately call it sarcasm, sometimes snarkiness-whichever you prefer. I mean, come on! Look at this place! There is literally nothing-"

"Shawn, shut up for a minute..."

There was a siren sounding in the distance. Juliet's eyebrow lifted in confusion. Why would there be any sort of emergency vehicle so far from any sort of civilization? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shawn stiffen. His face was stone cold serious, and Juliet felt her heart drop. They could not catch a break could they?

"Jules. Don't freak out, but you might want to pull over."

Complying with Shawn's request, she pulled over, putting the car into park. "What's wrong, Shawn?"

He turned only slightly toward Juliet, his eyes still trained mainly on the angry looking sky outside. "I've only been to this part of the country a couple of times for this particular reason. If I'm not mistaken, that siren means-"

"No."

The defiance in Gus's voice made Juliet realize the urgency of their situation. She put a soothing hand on Shawn's arm, hoping he'd finish what he was trying to say. "It means what, Shawn?"

"Tornado."

Juliet felt fear begin bubbling in her stomach. Growing up in Florida she'd seen her fair share of hurricanes, but tornadoes? Uncharted territory.

"Okay, so we have time to find shelter, right?"

Shawn's head shook violently, "We _did_. Not anymore." He pointed out ahead of them, and, sure enough, one of the angry gray clouds had found it's way to the ground. Dust and debris were flying all around the large, monstrous cloud. Juliet felt herself starting to shake. She'd never witnessed anything so...violent. She had seen the aftermath of some of the most heinous, violent crimes, but she had never seen anything so...destructive before.

"Get out. There is a deep ditch right there. It's our only chance." Shawn ordered. Despite their dire situation, Juliet found herself admiring how her boyfriend was able to maintain his composure.

The three friends clambered out of the car and ran for a ditch that lay just off the road on one side. Gus dove in first, and then Shawn all but threw Juliet down on top of him before he too jumped in. He positioned his body to shield as much of them both that he could.

"Cover your head with your hands." His voice was nearly lost under the overpowering noise coming from the large funnel cloud, but both of them heard and threw their hands over their heads. Shawn used his hands to tuck Juliet's head further under his body as well as he could. He could take it if he got hurt, but not her.

Before long the storm was so loud that it was nearly deafening. Shawn shut his eyes as hard as he could as he felt things pelt him in the back, and in the head. He knew he'd definitely have some bruises.

Juliet whimpered underneath him. She wasn't usually one to show fear, but the fact that Shawn was almost completely exposed to the destructive horror above them was almost too much for her to handle. If she got hurt she could handle it, but not Shawn. She felt Gus grab a hold of her hand, and her eyes met his for a moment. She quickly decided that eye contact was the opposite of a good idea. Fear was apparent in Gus's, and that didn't make her feel any better. Juliet squeezed his hand back.

Almost as quickly as the storm had started, it ended. "Shawn, it's over."

A new wave of fear flew through Juliet's body when Shawn failed to respond to her voice. "Gus, can you squeeze out? We need to check on Shawn."

Gus nodded, trying to pry himself out from under Shawn's body. He felt his heart skip a few beats when he saw a piece of something metal sticking out of Shawn's back. It wasn't large enough to have caused too much damage, but Gus found that there was a deep laceration on Shawn's head that he was certain that was the cause of Shawn's unconsciousness.

Lifting Shawn slightly, he looked underneath his limp body. "Do you have enough room to squeeze out?" He saw Juliet shake her head as she shimmied herself out from under Shawn.

"Please...Oh my God." breathed upon seeing her boyfriend. Shawn was still breathing, but he was out cold and had already paled considerably.

Gus shook his head. "It's not as bad as it looks. Whatever that metal thing is is high enough that it more than likely didn't puncture his lung-might have done some muscle damage, though." He pointed to the back of Shawn's head. "This is the worst. It's a pretty deep laceration."

Juliet shook her head as she whipped out her cell phone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that neither her nor Gus had any injuries at all. Not even bruises or scrapes. Shawn had taken the full brunt of the damage. "This is Detective Juliet O'Hara. I have an injured man off of," she looked up, thanking her lucky stars that Shawn had her pull off right in front of a mile marker. "Mile marker 113."

* * *

><p>Juliet paced up and down the hall of the small waiting room. The sterile smell and brightness of the plain white walls were making her antsy. The doctor had been certain that Shawn wouldn't need surgery, although he was worried that he might have a pretty serious concussion. Juliet almost considered leaving him with the doctors so she could go finish the case while knowing he was safe. The thought of Shawn going and hurting himself worse than he already was made her queasy stomach ache even worse.<p>

"He's tough, Juliet." Gus's voice broke, and she realized that he wasn't just saying it for her benefit, but for his as well.

"Family of Mr. Spencer?" The doctor called, nearly jumping back at Juliet and Gus's lightning fast response. He offered a small smile before flipping through the chart in front of him. "Mr. Spencer has some slight muscle damage, and, due to his level of consciousness when he was brought in, he denied surgery that he will need to have. It's nothing major, just some slight muscle repair. The metal lodged in his back caused a tad bit of damage. His worst injury is the head injury. He definitely has a pretty serious concussion, and we want him to stay overnight for observation, but he vehemently refuses. We stitched up both his back and his head..."

"So you're releasing him?" Juliet's voice was a quiver of fear.

"Yes. We cannot force a patient to stay, but I have explained that he is leaving without a doctor's permission and he'll need to sign a paper that says he cannot sue the hospital or me if something happens once he leaves. Again, and I stress this point, please keep a close eye on him. If he shows any of these symptoms then please bring him back in."

The doctor handed Juliet a piece of paper, "You may sit with him while the nurse gets all of his release papers together. I gave him a slight sedative, so he may be in and out for the next few hours."

Juliet just nodded and tucked the paper into her purse, before following the doctor to the small room that Shawn was occupying.

"Hey, Jules! I love you, you know that, right?" a big goofy grin was plastered on his face.

Juliet couldn't help but wonder whether said so because of the sedative or because he meant it.


	6. Phoenix

**A/N: I'm horrible, I know! I was trying to wait for my beta to get my the last chapter so I could post a chapter a day until it was finished... but then we both got so busy.**

**But, here is the next chapter... and she's supposed to get me the last chapter by the end of the weekend. So it should be finished soon!**

* * *

><p>Shawn whimpered slightly; his head was pounding as if a jackhammer was attempting to drill a hole in his head. He groaned loudly as the thought occurred to him that he finally fully understood that saying. He felt a hand clasp around his sweating one. He wasn't entirely sure when he had fallen asleep or how long he had been asleep, but he knew that the headache that he had started to feel when he sat waiting to board the plane for Phoenix was now raging in his temples.<p>

"Shawn?" Juliet's voice was soft, filled with concern. That wasn't a good sign.

Shawn popped one eye open and immediately regretted it. The light above his head drove his temple to create its own heartbeat, thumping to its own tune. He shut his eye quickly as his stomach rolled. He had only had one migraine in his life, and he had been unable to stop himself from vomiting that time. The pseudo-psychic placed his free hand on his abdomen, hoping it would soothe his sour stomach.

"Are you feeling sick? Shawn?"

He was going to shake his head, but realized quickly that the movement would be the opposite of helpful.

"Yes." He managed to squeak out.

Vomiting would be so much less fun with his throat being so parched. The dryness seemed to take on a life of it's own. Feeling as if his throat was suddenly made of cotton, Shawn started to cough.

Oh, yes. This did wonderful things for his continually rolling stomach. Unable to hide his agony any longer, Shawn sat up. His eyes snapped open-the light made the headache worse, which made the nausea worse. He saw that Juliet was holding one of the air-sick bags in front of him. Wasting no more time, Shawn retched into the bag, feeling like crying as his throat started to burn as if it were on fire.

"Better?" Her eyebrow was quirked, worry written on her face.

Shawn nodded. Not only was his stomach better, but also his head didn't hurt quite as bad. He watched as girlfriend thrust her hand out in front of him, two little pills littering her palm. He smiled before taking the two pills and placing them on his tongue, grabbing the bottle of water that sat on his food tray in front of him. Shawn Downed half of the bottle, not only to take the pills, but also to put out the fire in his throat. He sat the bottle back down before realizing fully that they were on the plane.

"How...no wait...when did we board the plane, and why don't I remember it?" Shawn's eyebrow quirked, his curiosity peaked.

Juliet stifled a laugh and settled on a smile instead. "Well, like the doctor said you might, you fell asleep. It was time to board so Gus and I dragged you toward the gate. You should have seen the looks we got from people. I think they thought we were trying to kidnap you or something."

Shawn laughed lightly, groaning when the movement sent sharp pains through his head. Oh, this case was quickly becoming way more than a burden. In fact, he had half a mind to put a bullet in this Tourist's head himself.

Suddenly becoming aware of how his pain was rapidly disappearing, Shawn realized that the pills that Juliet had given him did not look like Tylenol.

"What did you give me?"

She tried to hide the smile on her lips. "Your pain medicine. The doctor said that your head would hurt pretty bad for a few days, and that you should take the pain medicine to keep the pain to a minimum."

"You tricky little..."

"Let's keep it PG, Shawn."

Gus leaned over the seat and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Like I can keep this," Shawn remarked, as he pointed at his head, "out of the gutter. Really, Gus?"

Gus chuckled as he sat back into his seat.

* * *

><p>Shawn trudged lethargically behind Gus and Juliet. His head hung and as his eyelids continually tried to droop close. For a moment, he wondered what kind of pain pills the doctor gave him. He felt weak and barely noticed that he had stopped moving forward, and that his knees were starting to buckle under him.<p>

"I got him." Gus called as he rushed to Shawn's side, snagging his arm before he hit the floor hard. "What pain pills did that doctor give him?"

Juliet shrugged her shoulders as she joined Gus in dragging Shawn along. She had hooked her badge to its chain and placed it around her neck-That way people wouldn't look at Gus and her like they were committing a felony. Juliet realized one good thing about traveling without bags-even if the reason for that was because the airline lost their bags-Was that they could skip the long, annoying wait at baggage claim, and head straight for the rent-a-car desk.

* * *

><p>Juliet pulled out her phone and watched as Shawn's head lulled to the side. She answered it without checking the caller ID-it was bound to be Carlton, either because he had a lead, or the Tourist had taken another innocent life. Pulling the phone to her ear as she maneuvered the car into a different lane to avoid traffic, she answered.<p>

"Hello..." She became silent as she listened to Carlton bark into the phone.

It had been interesting telling her partner about their experience with the tornado. The same experience that landed the still unconscious Shawn in the ER.

"It's not his fault, Carlton."

Oh, now he was just trying to make her angry, blaming Shawn for their getting behind like that. He had practically saved her and Gus's lives.

"He saved our lives, Carlton. Still, it's not his fault. No, you cannot talk to him, he's still out of it." She laughed at what he said. "Well yes, he has woken up here and there, but his pain medication is pretty strong, and knocks him out for a while. Look, just give me directions to the crime scene."

Pulling to a stop behind a semi-truck, Juliet turned slightly, poking at Gus. He jumped before he realized what was going on and who was poking at him. He smiled sheepishly at Juliet as she motioned for him to take out his memo pad.

"Carlton is giving us directions to the next crime scene," she whispered to Gus, who pulled out the tiny pad of paper and the pen he kept in his shirt pocket.

Carlton came back onto the line to bark the directions into the phone, and she nodded as she relayed the information to Gus, who jotted it down as quickly as he could. After whispering goodbye to her partner, Juliet hung up the phone and took the paper from Gus. Mulling over the directions, she saw that traffic had started to move again. Taking off down the road, Gus leaned forward.

"What about him?" Gus leaned forward as Juliet took off down the road. He jerked his thumb to the right, pointing directly at the unconscious body in the passenger seat.

"I'll wake him when we get there."

Gus nodded and sat back into the back seat. This road trip was really starting to take it's toll on everyone involved. Especially Shawn.

* * *

><p>"Shawn!" Her voice grew louder as she shook her boyfriend.<p>

Finally Juliet got a yawn out of him and as his eyes opened slightly, the grimace on his face was evidence that his head was still hurting. She frowned, wanting nothing more than to give him some more pain pills, but knowing that he couldn't have anymore until after they processed the scene. The trio had to figure out where to go next, and Juliet needed Shawn's help with that.

"Come on, sleepy head. We have a crime scene to process and a serial killer to catch."

Shawn yawned again, the movement doing nothing to help the aching pain in his head.

"You mean, a serial killer to kill, right? I mean, I figure it's all we can do for the trouble he's put us through."

Juliet shook her head as Shawn continued to mumble as he got out of the car. He was unsteady on his feet, weaving right and left all the way up to the house that seemed to be located in the middle of nowhere. By the time they had reached the front porch of the house Shawn had seemingly steadied himself.

Entering the house was a whole different breed of issues. The smell was the first problem. It was overwhelming. Ten times worse than the smell in Oklahoma City. Then there was the body, which was dismembered like the others, only worse than before.

"Hello, there. You must be the detectives from Santa Barbara." A large, balding man greeted them, tipping his hat towards them.

"Juliet," Shawn jerked his thumb to his left, introducing the two thirds of the group that chose to brave the crime scene. "I'm Shawn. Not a detective, but consultant."

"Ah, well. This here is Miriam Buchanan." The man gestured to the corpse before them. "She's sixty-seven years old. Lived out in here on her own since her husband, Larry, died ten years ago. Coroner says she's been dead for about a week now. We wouldn't have even known nothin' bout it, but her vacation was over yesterday. When she didn't show up at work, they all got real worried. Didn't have time to come out here until this morning though."

Shawn shook his head. That wasn't right- it couldn't be. They had only been gone three, four days tops. Unless...They had never been on his trail. The Tourist had been leading them all over God's creation, killing people that wouldn't be easily missed so that they wouldn't be found right away. This was part of his game.

"That sick..." Shawn felt Juliet elbow him in the side. "Ow! Jules, that hurt."

She glared at him before turning back to the sheriff in front of them. "Look..."

"Where are my manners? Name's Sheriff Roger Phillips." he extended his hand first to Juliet and then to Shawn.

"Well, Sheriff Phillips, if you don't mind we'd like to take a look around. Then we'll be on our way."

He tipped his hat as he back away from the body. Juliet knelt down and examined the body closer, finding nothing unusual. She then felt Shawn poke her in the back.

"Really, Shawn?" She said, as she stood up.

Shawn gripped paper in his hands tightly, his knuckles turning white. Juliet was unsettled by the raging emotions displayed on his face.

"He's been playing us, Jules. From the start. Though, he wasn't lying about the head start..."

"Shawn, what are you talking about?" Juliet interrupted him.

"Seattle, Oklahoma City, and here? All done before he hit Santa Barbara. Lassie seeing him, though, it intrigued him, which is why he started the game. He left that stupid note calling me out—the one that started all this. After that…I don't know…he must've retraced his steps or something, leaving the rest of the notes as he went. It's a game, Jules. He's playing us. He needed Lassie to not go with us for whatever reason. He knew throwing me into the mix would help. He's been having us going on a wild goose chase to find his older killings so he can put his next set of plans in motion."

"I don't understand, Shawn."

He simply flipped the paper over. The three words written in messy print made her face go pale.

_Detective Carlton Lassiter_

"You see, Jules. He went back to each killing site and he placed clues to the next one so that we'd be running around the country trying to stop him. He's in Santa Barbara by now and Lassie is in danger!"

Exchanging a glance or two, the two took off running for the door. In record time Juliet had the keys out and flipped over to Shawn, yanking her cell phone to her ear.

The phone rang twice before going to voice-mail. That was not good. Carlton never turned his cell phone off. Never.

* * *

><p><strong>AN #2: Thoughts? Did you see the twist coming? I surely hope not, cos I didn't even see it coming. REVIEW, and tell me what you think of that delicious twist.. and the nice cliffy...**

**Side-Note; I'm currently working with a friend of mine to bounce around ideas for my next adventure, and believe me, it'll be an edge of your seat thrill ride. That is all :)**


	7. Santa Barbara Revised

**A/N: So... one more chapter after this... It's been fun- and keep an eye out for my new story that will hopefully be making an appearance soon!**

* * *

><p>Shawn, Gus, and Juliet walked into the SBPD with a newfound purpose. Chief Karen Vick was waiting for them at the entrance. Wasting no time on pleasantries, she handed them the file containing any and all information they had found on The Tourist.<p>

"Justin Pires. He was born and raised in Santa Barbara; however, he lived in the cities of each crime scene for at least a year. His last known address is a house just outside the city. We have the California State Police looking into that residence as we speak. For now, we just have to...wait."

Shawn shook his head, Lassiter had been missing for about two and a half hours. "That's not good enough. Lassie would be doing _everything_ possible to find us, if it was the other way around."

"Yes, Mr. Spencer, he would if he had something to go on. We currently have nothing." She saw the look that was plastered on Shawn's face. "Mr. Spencer, are you having a vision?"

His hands flew up to his temples. "I think I might know where Lassie is."

"Care to share, Mr. Spencer?" The chief was taken aback by Shawn's lack of theatrics, which was one of the things that she had come to expect from him.

"The original crime scene."

Chief Vick rubbed a hand over her face wearily. "You think Detective Lassiter is in Los Angeles?" She asked, her eyebrow quirked slightly in confusion.

"No, the first one that was known of."

"So you think he's still in Santa Barbara?"

"Yes. The house would be vacant right now...right? I mean, the man who was killed didn't have any family..."

"Correct, Mr. Spencer. Alright, let's mount up, people. We have a detective to locate."

Shawn felt around the waistband of his jeans and smiled softly, reassured that the gun was still there. Slowly, he trudged after Juliet and Gus, the full effects of the entire road trip beginning to take their tool on him.

* * *

><p>Juliet sped her car down the road in her car. Though she wasn't usually one to put all her faith into prayer, she prayed that Shawn was right, and that Carlton would be at the crime scene. Usually the department would have released the property back to the family, but, in this case, there was no family to call. The house was on the market, legally property of the state.<p>

Juliet could see what Shawn had meant. The property would be the perfect place to bring Carlton. To torture and kill him.

Or perhaps, Juliet wondered uneasily, it was more to torture Shawn. An elaborate scheme designed to make him squirm knowing it was fully up to him to find and locate Carlton.

"Jules..."

She simply shook her head. She knew what he'd say, and she knew that he would do anything—everything he could to save her partner. Even if Carlton pretended by all that he hated Shawn, she knew differently. Though he'd never say it out-loud, Carlton thought of Shawn as somewhat of a friend. Usually it was very quick, barely there, but sometimes when she'd speak of calling Shawn, a small fraction of a smile would cross the thin line of his lips.

* * *

><p>Juliet jammed her foot against the car brake, sending all of the occupants of the car lurching forward.<p>

"Let's go, detective" Chief Vick looked back to the seats behind her and saw both Shawn and Gus climbing out of the vehicle. "Excuse me, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Guster. You are to stay in the car."

Shawn shook his head vehemently, a snarl on his face. "I still have that gun, and I am going in. It's _my_ fault that Lassie-Face is in this position, I am going to help get him out."

Juliet looked at her boyfriend for a second, saw the determination on his face, and sighed.

The chief sighed in resignation. "You will stay behind both Detective O'Hara and myself. Do you hear me, Mr. Spencer?"

Shawn nodded his head before retrieving the gun from the waistband of his jeans. Juliet looked on in shock as he released the magazine clip and checked it over before shoving it back in its place, and removing the safety.

For a moment, determined Shawn took a break and a smile crept on his lips. Eying the distance between him and his girlfriend and Chief Vick, he leaned in toward Juliet. "Does it turn you on, Jules?" His eyebrow wagged at her.

"Shut up, Shawn."

Chuckling, he held his arms at length as they got in their ready positions. Stalking slowly toward the house, Shawn listened for once. His body was blocked not only by Chief Vick and Juliet, but at least a half dozen other officers. Once they reached the door, Juliet leaned in. The element of surprise was the only thing that they had on their side right now. If Justin Pires knew that they were here, he'd definitely kill Lassiter. Shawn had already explained this to them, or well shouted it at them. Juliet's hand gripped the door knob in her hand, with her eyes closed, Juliet twisted. Shawn sighed in relief. He had been right, the door was unlocked.

Once inside, Shawn watched as the officers looked over the front room. Quickly they signaled it was clear. Stunned by silence, Shawn watched as Juliet motioned for the six other officers to clear the upstairs portion of the house, while Shawn, the chief, and herself cleared the remaining rooms downstairs. Following quickly behind them, as promised, he strained his ears as they walked slowly down the hallway. Juliet and the chief, periodically opening doors and clearing small rooms. Mainly closets and the bathroom. With a finger to his head, Shawn remembered Lassiter's description of the house. The body had been found in the front room, though that was easy to figure out as blood was dried and faded on the carpet. However, it was the furthest room in the back, the den, that Lassiter had seen Justin Pires in. The exact direction the muffled sounds were coming from.

"He's back here." Shawn took off, his gun hanging loosely at his side.

Juliet tried to grab his arm, but the tiny piece of cloth her fingers had managed to grasp seemed to just disappear from her hand.

"Shawn!" she hissed, following closely behind.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Shawn peered around the corner, his gun rising to eye level.

"Freeze! SBPD!" The words flowed from his mouth with ease.

A gunshot pierced the air and Juliet watched in horror as Shawn's knees buckled. He started to fall backwards as his gun went off, aimed a little high.

Juliet stood, frozen in shock as she watched her boyfriend crash onto the ground. His gun fell from his limp grip, clattering across the floor until it nudged against her shoe.

Juliet stood, staring as she watched blood begin to seep from the hole in Shawn's chest.

She had no idea whether it was seconds or hours before she was finally able to move her feet and dart around the corner. Justin Pires lay to the floor, blood spilled from a wound in his forehead.

As the shock that Shawn had hit the suspect, let alone dealt a kill shot, sank in, Juliet found herself scanning the small room for the man they'd come to find in the first place. It didn't take long to locate him; he was laying limply a few feet away from the suspect. Juliet found herself glancing back and forth between her partner, whose eyes were closed in obvious unconsciousness, and her boyfriend, who lay flat on his back, his breathing erratic, with blood pooling underneath his body.

"I'll tend to Detective Lassiter. You check on, Mr. Spencer."

Juliet nodded curtly at the chief before jogging quickly to Shawn's side. His body was ridged with pain; his eyes were starting to glaze over. The wound in his chest was small, but blood oozed out of it at an alarming pace. She took her suit jacket off and pressed tightly against his chest. He hissed out in pain.

Juliet's head snapped up slightly upon seeing movement on Shawn's other side. The chief had knelt down beside the psychic's prone body. The women's eyes met for a moment.

"Carlton is unconscious. No indication of anything other than a concussion. His breathing and pulse are steady. The EMTs are on their way as we speak. What are we looking at?"

Vick's authoritative tone calmed Juliet down slightly. "Single gunshot wound to the upper-right hand side of his chest. He's lost an exceptional amount of blood. He's still conscious, but barely..."

"Jules..." it wasn't more than a dry whisper, but both of Karen and Juliet heard.

Their heads snapped to Shawn's face, which seemed to be contorted in pain. Chief Vick nodded as her hands took over for Juliet's. With her added pressure, a pained cry escaped Shawn's lips. Juliet leaned over so he could see her.

"I'm here, Shawn." Her hand gripped his. She saw unshed tears in his glazed-over eyes.

"Did I hit him?"

Unable to form words, Juliet simply nodded her head. The tears slipped from his eyes as he slowly lost his battle with unconsciousness.


	8. Epilogue

Taking a quick look at his surroundings, Shawn felt a smile creep onto his lips. He noticed that a blanket was draped over his prone form and his smile grew. He remembered venturing into an all night 80's movie marathon with Juliet. She had giggled and said he wouldn't make it through one movie. Judging by what he could ascertain from his memory bank, he'd say she was right, since they started with _The Breakfast Club _and he didn't remember seeing the oh so familiar ending to the movie.

He continued to lie still, not only because he was still having some issues with getting up on his own accord, but also because he seriously had to use the bathroom. His bladder was screaming at him at that given moment, and, though he was generally able to tolerate Juliet's two little fur-balls, it seemed like the two felines were raging an unknown war on him. Dexter, the more comely of the two cats, jumped onto Shawn's prone legs and jogged his tiny body up his legs, deciding to sit just above the waistband of his sweatpants.

"Seriously not cool, Dex." He could feel the cat purring, the movement jerking his bladder around uncomfortably.

"Aww, but he loves you. Just like me." Shawn looked straight up at the ceiling only to have his view obstructed by the ocean blue of his girlfriend's eyes as she leaned over him. "Bout time you woke up, sleepy head." She kissed his forehead carefully.

"Jules..." her name came out in a moan. "Please get the fur-ball off my bladder..." Realization crossed her features. She nabbed a hold of Dexter, and, kissing the top of his furry head, set him down on the floor.

She grabbed a hold of Shawn's hand and carefully hoisted him into a sitting position. The muffled groans escaping him were something she had grown accustom to over the past two weeks. The wound to his chest had caused him to be in the hospital for three days-five short of how long they actually wanted him to stay, but Shawn Spencer was the king of getting himself out of extended hospital stays. Of course they were adamant that he stay with someone that could help him. Someone that could make sure that he didn't exert himself. Juliet had offered, and had received knowing looks from both Gus and Mr. Spencer, and a look of shock from Lassiter—a look similar to the Chief's when she had put in for vacation time to help Shawn out.

Shawn's moan of pain pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked at him. He was fighting off a grimace. Letting him back to the couch, she swatted at his hand when he tried to pull himself up from the couch on his own.

"Let me make sure that you didn't bust the wound open... Shawn, sit still!"

He looked at her. "Let me put this a different way. If I don't get to the bathroom soon, I'll go potty right here..."

"Fine, but as soon as you're done in the bathroom I am examining your wound." Her eyebrow quirked, just begging him to argue with her.

Instead he threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Yeah, alright. Fine. As long as I don't have to go pee-pee on the couch."

Juliet fought against the smile that tugged at her lips as she gripped his arms and helped hoist him up on unsteady feet. Bracing his weight on her shoulders as well as she could, she waited until he got control of his balance before releasing him.

* * *

><p>The trees whipped by at a relatively decent clip. They seemed to blur right in front of his eyes. His hand was clasped with Juliet's, and out of the corner of his eye he watched her. The way the sunlight lit up her features. The way her golden blond hair seemed to set on fire when the sun hit it just right. Her eyes never strayed completely from the road, but at clipped intervals he could see her peek at him from the corner of her eyes. Just a hint of ocean blue, but just enough to melt his heart.<p>

"Shawn, where are we going exactly?"

From his perch he could see her eyebrows quirk. How to answer her without giving away his secret? He smiled.

"It's a cabin out on a lake. My grandpa willed it to my dad..."

She sighed softly. "Do I look like the camping type?"

His laughter filled the car. Slowly, though, it dissipated until it was merely a snicker. "Not really, but at least you're not wearing your typical work clothes. I'm just saying a pantsuit would not work well up here. Neither would high heels."

Releasing his hand, she smacked his arm. "Ow Jules! That really hurt." Sticking out his bottom lip, he made his world famous (or at least Santa Barbara's famous) Shawn-Spencer-feel-sorry-for-me pouty face. Juliet chuckled lightly.

"Uh uh, not falling for it, Mr. Spencer."

He gasped aloud, his hand clutched at his chest. "You wound me, Detective O'Hara..." He paused for a moment, his eyes closed. "Yes, I am indeed wounded. My heart is breaking as we speak."

"Awww... poor baby." This time Juliet stuck out her bottom lip and made a pouty face. "Forgive me?"

Chuckling, Shawn grasped her hand in his again. "Always, pumpkin doodle...Ow!"

"What did I tell you about the cute pet names?" Her eyebrow was arched dangerously.

"That they are 'absolutely not allowed.' That was a direct quote, too." He shook his head, pride glowing from his face.

"You're impossible!"

"Oh, I know it." He smiled at her as he wriggled himself deeper into the seat.

* * *

><p>"Shawn... this is not a cabin! That is a...tent." Juliet's face puckered up.<p>

A million quips ran through Shawn's head at the look on her face, most of which included using the word sourpuss. Shawn held himself back, however, figuring that would earn him another Juliet O'Hara arm smack, and those hurt!

"Yeah... I may have forgotten to mention that the cabin was torched during a wildfire a few years back...Ow! Damn, Jules! That hurt." He rubbed the now sore spot on his arm.

"What are we going to do now? We're like two hours from civilization." Juliet huffed angrily.

"Enjoy the sights and sounds...ow! Shit, that stings every time!"

Juliet cracked the tiniest of smiles at that. "Shawn... I am not the camping type. I just... I don't do it."

"I know Jules, but it's getting late...and I just think that this will be better than driving another two hours for an overpriced hotel room."

Sighing, Juliet sank herself down on the sleeping bag that Shawn had unzipped and laid out for both of them to share. Shawn sank down behind her, and she slowly, carefully, slid backward until his arms intertwined her, drawing her into his chest.

"Shawn...you're..."

"Ssh. Look at the stars!"

Looking up, Juliet glimpsed several starry patterns, most of which she didn't know. Leaning forward, Shawn started to point out stars, spouting off ridiculous and completely wrong names. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Shawn, I can almost guarantee that it is not the pineapple king star."

"But of course it is..."

Juliet laughed lightly, as Shawn gasped in disbelief behind her. "Juliet O'Hara, are you telling me that you've never heard the story of the Pineapple King, or of Pineapple Day?" Even though she wasn't looking at him, she could tell that his eyebrows were arched in that disbelieving way.

"No, Shawn, I haven't. Please tell me the story." Juliet was able to stifle the laugh, but the smile still remained on her lips.

"Well, you see fair Juliet. Many, many years ago there lived a grand king. His name was Shawnton, and he ruled over a great kingdom called, Santabarbaraland-"

"Really? Santabarbaraland?" Juliet's eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"Why yes, Jules. It was a grand faraway land. You see the kingdom was running out of food, and King Shawnton knew that the villagers would soon starve to death. King Shawnton couldn't stand for that, so he ventured out of the kingdom in search of food. After hours of searching, the king was starving and needed to find something to eat soon. Up ahead of him, he saw that there was a clearing in the trees. In this clearing sat some large prickly-" Shawn paused dramatically, his finger tapping against his chin. "fruit! King Shawnton was excited, except he had never seen something that looked so inedible. So he climbed off his horse and approached the field. Removing one of the prickly fruit's from it's spot, King Shawnton used his sword to cut the fruit open. An explosion of golden color glared up at him. Without a single thought, he raised the fruit to his mouth and rejoiced at the almost magical taste of the fruit-"

"So that's why he's the pineapple king, huh?" Juliet asked, her hand rubbed up and down Shawn's arm. Even if she knew it was a bunch hooey that Shawn had conjured up in his mind, Juliet had to admit Shawn had a way of storytelling.

"Juliet O'Hara, you are ruining the end of the story!" Shawn pouted slightly.

"Sorry, please continue, Shawn." Juliet chuckled lightly.

Sighing, Shawn continued. "King Shawnton gathered as much of the fruit that he could fit into the satchel he had brought with him. He then proceeded to mark the trees just before the patch of fruit so he could find his way back. He returned to the kingdom and grabbed his best guards to follow him, and then promised his villagers that food was on it's way. King Shawnton and his guards made their way back to the patch of fruit. He placed to guards to stay behind and watch over the field of fruit, while the other five filled their satchels with as much of the fruit as they could. Soon they all made their way back to the kingdom. King Shawnton along with his Queen, Julieta, spoke to the villagers. He spoke of the grand golden fruit he found, and it's near magical taste. Finally someone asked what it was. King Shawnton smile broadly and said, _'I found it amongst the pine trees, and it's got a slightly sweeter taste than that of the apple. I shall call it Pineapple.'_ From that day on all the villagers hailed him King Shawnton, the Pineapple King, and that day would be forever remembered as Pineapple Day."

Juliet fought against the laugh. "That was a great story, Shawn!"

"But it wasn't a story, Jules." This caused her to pull away from his body and turn toward him.

"Yeah?"

"Nope, today is Pineapple Day." A crooked smile crossed Shawn's lips as he handed her a jewelry box that was big enough for a couple of necklaces and earrings. He nudged her softly.

"Go on, open it."

Her fingers lingered over the velvet top for a moment before she pulled it open. The smile that crossed her lips was followed by a chuckle.

"Shawn... this is a pineapple ring."

Shaking his head. "Well of course! How else can you be the pineapple queen, to my king, without a pineapple ring?" His eyebrow quirked, challenging her.

"I suppose you have a point."

Leaning in she pressed her lips to his. "I love you, Shawn." She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck.

He smiled before pressing his lips to the crown of her head, "I love you too, pineapple queen."


End file.
